“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” (John 1:47). If we were to describe ourselves as having no guile in us, then we might say that we have within us no desire or intent to deceive but that is only half of it. If we have no guile in us - none whatsoever - then not only do we never seek out through our words or actions to lie or cheat or trick, either others or ourselves, but we also will not allow ourselves to be tricked, cheated or lied to. There's sometimes this sense that truly honest people are much more gullible than hardened liars but that's simply not the case. Refusing to lie makes it easier to resist the lies of others. By always seeking to cast out every deceitful thought and feeling and temptation as soon as they bubble up into our conscious mind, we strengthen ourselves against the lies of others. Every lie that we spew out leaves an opening for other lies to get in. If our integrity is so ironclad and absolute that no lies can get out, then it stands to reason that likewise no lies can get in. As we abide in the truth, the truth abides in us. If we have been struggling with falling again and again for Satan’s lies, then maybe it's time we try to start telling the truth. Each truth we utter is another ring added to the chain mail of our whole armor of God. If we could only get to the point where the Savior could say of us, “An Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile” then we will have made some serious progress on our eternal journey.
